In July 2021, Enock Mwepu was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion from Salzburg in Austria, fulfilling his dream of playing in the Premier League of England. Since his arrival, the midfielder had a positive impact on the ‘Seagulls’ and in the 2022-23 season, his consolidation was expected, but a surprising news has changed the outlook: he will retire at only 24 years old.
Through Twitter, the English club announced that the Zambian footballer “has been forced to end his playing career following the diagnosis of a hereditary heart condition”, after listening to the recommendation of the specialist doctors.
In that sense, Brighton revealed that Mwepu had fallen ill during the last FIFA international break, when he went to play a friendly with the Zambia national team. At that time, the midfielder was examined in a hospital in Mali, and later, the tests continued in English territory.
During those exams, the doctors detected a hereditary heart condition, which is manifested later in life and was not evident in a regular test. According to specialists, this hereditary condition can worsen with sports practice, even being fatal, and for safety reasons, Enock had to quit football.
Mwepu listened to the doctors and announced his decision to retire to Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton's coach, who could not hide his sadness. The board of the ‘Seagulls’, also affected by what happened to the talented player, committed to provide all possible help to Enock and his family.
Enock Mwepu's retirement announcement letter
“A child from a small municipality in Zambia called Chambishi has some news to share. He stood firm to pursue his dream of playing football at the highest level and, by the grace of God, he fulfilled his dream by reaching the Premier League. However, some dreams come to an end, so it is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up my boots due to the medical advice I have received. However, this is not the end of my involvement in football, I plan to stay involved in some way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me on my football journey, including my wife and family, my agent 12MAN, the Football Association of Zambia, all my previous clubs, teammates and coaches, and especially everyone at Brighton & Hove Albion”.
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